Him
by Lialane Graest
Summary: Stein, Marie and Spirit all play starring roles in this multi-chapter fanfiction. It centers around a series of events that try the friendship of all three, and the resolution to said events. Romance, angst, and maybe a little humor all await.
1. Experimental Techniques

Marie sat across from Stein, smiling at him. The night had been perfect. He had even behaved. She was especially proud of the fact that he hadn't threatened to dissect the poor waiter when the man had been so flustered he had spilled some water on Marie's shirt and then tried to help her clean it off, his hands entirely too close to Marie's… assets.

Their dinner sat mostly eaten in front of them and Stein was talking about some experiment he was currently working on. The details were far above Marie's head, but she didn't care. She'd listen like she always did and support him in whatever he was doing. The scientist's face was animated more than usual, and she found that he was talking about something to do with wavelengths and a better way for weapon and meister pairs to resonate.

A way that he wanted to try that night, with her. She felt the blush spread across her cheeks and just nodded when it was appropriate to.

'_Will tonight be the night we finally do something besides the occasional hug or kiss on the forehead or cheek?'_ She wondered silently as he continued talking.

* * *

Marie lay in her bed, disappointment rushing through her. She had known when she started dating Stein that he wasn't an overly emotional person, that he wasn't a physical person. She had just never realized how true those statements were.

A year. They had been dating for just over a year and he had never so much as made a move on her. They still slept in separate beds. It was just like it had been when they weren't dating. And Marie, as much as she loved Stein, needed something physical. There was only so much that she could do for herself.

She needed something more physical than training with her meister. That had been his surprise. A pill that he thought would help their resonance and three hours of grueling sparring and resonating attempts. It had left her so exhausted that he had been forced to carry her to her room before retreating to his lab again.

The experiment had been a success. Even she had been able to tell that their attacks were more powerful than without whatever he had given the two of them. She had been able to better anticipate his moves as well. She had even, dimly, felt what he was feeling.

It was a shocking glimpse into Stein's mind that she hadn't been ready for. He had been excited, nearly trembling inside the cage that he kept around his emotions. Anticipation had laced nearly every movement he had made; all of it was overridden by curiosity. She had even been able to momentarily feel the madness that he fought daily to keep at bay.

And through it all she burned with the embarrassment that he was probably reading her even more easily than she could read him. The death scythe had tried to keep a lid on everything, pushing her emotions down and focusing only on the training dummy, the sparring match, anything except what had been plaguing her nearly constantly. She was afraid she had failed.

When the next morning came she rolled carefully out of bed, feeling the strain in her muscles, a weakness that she hadn't experienced in a long while. She collapsed after taking only three steps from her bed.

* * *

Knocking rang through the lab. It pulled Stein from his notes and he cranked the screw in his head backwards, fatigue raging through his body. Bracing his foot against his desk the scientist pushed back with all his strength, hurtling through the hall of the lab and to the front door where he skidded to a stop before impacting with the double doors.

He slid the door open and looked up at the man framed in the door. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Spirit?" Stein slowly drawled out.

Spirit stood in the doorway looking down at Stein. "I came over to make sure that you and Marie were alright. We missed the two of you at Shibusen yesterday."

"What are you talking about, Spirit? Marie and I were both there yesterday." Stein scooted away from the door, letting Spirit enter.

Spirit stepped into the lab, the door swinging shut behind him and stared at Stein. "Stein, neither of you showed up yesterday. I knew that your date was the night before so I covered for you two, but when I didn't hear anything I thought I'd come and check."

"That's not a funny joke, Senpai," the scientist said as he scooted through the hall and back to his computer, suddenly aware of the slightly metallic taste in the back of his throat and a slowly growing headache in addition to the fatigue he felt.

"It's no joke, Stein. Where's Marie?" Spirit looked around and stopped at the base of the stairs. "Hey, Marie!" The man shouted up the stairs and looked at Stein when there was no response.

"It's still early, Spirit. She's probably asleep." Stein reasoned as he stood from the chair and moved past the other man to head up the stairs.

"After I spent nearly five minutes pounding on the door and just yelled up the stairs at her? If you hadn't answered when you did I was going to find a way in."

Stein just glared at the other man, reaching out with his _Soul Perception_ to try to find Marie. The effort caused his stomach to roll and he stopped halfway up the stairs, his head swimming. He felt Spirit's hand touch his shoulder.

"Hey, Stein, you ok?"

Stein shrugged Spirit's hand off his shoulder and finished climbing the stairs. He paused for a moment outside Marie's room and knocked. There was no answer from within. Stein cracked the door open to peer in, and his eyes went wide.

He flung the door open, darting into the room and hitting his knees beside the death scythe. Spirit was at her other side an instant later, Stein carefully rolling the woman onto her back. Marie's eye fluttered beneath her eyelid, but she wasn't conscious. Long fingers rested against Marie's throat, taking the woman's pulse even as Stein laid his head against her chest and listened to her breathing.

"Is she alright?" Stein looked up and saw nothing but worry painted across Spirit's face.

"Her breathing and pulse are fine. If I didn't know better I'd say that she was exhausted, it appears as if all of her muscles are entirely relaxed. It's almost as if she's in a deep sleep." Stein's voice was distant and analytical; the effect made Spirit shudder slightly. "I need to move her to the lab." Mechanically the man slipped his arms underneath Marie's slight frame and he stood.

The movement caused his head to swim again and he stood still, shaking his head to try to clear it. He felt Marie's weight lift and realized that he had closed his eyes; Spirit had taken the unconscious woman from him and was eyeing Stein warily.

"I need to run some tests." Stein's vision was swimming as much as his head now and he reached a shaking hand up to twist the screw. It produced some relief, but brought with it an onslaught of emotions and he hurriedly clicked it again to suppress them. Fatigue weighed down his steps as he left Marie's room, Spirit following behind him.

He stumbled slightly at the bottom of the stairs and shook his head, leaning forward slightly. He was out of sight of Spirit for a moment and took the time to analyze himself.

'_Fatigue. Loss of coordination. Headache. Nausea. Classic symptoms of … a hangover? Neither of us drank last night!'_ A hand reached up to twist the screw as Spirit made it down the stairs. _'The experiment. The drug must be in our systems still. That would explain the side effects. It doesn't explain why my Soul Perception didn't work though…'_ The scientist stepped unsteadily into the research lab and gestured at a table. _'Perhaps it has a period in which it raises the ability to resonate, but after a certain time has passed it blocks whatever it is that allows us to. If that is true, I could use this for quite a few other research venues as well…'_

Lost in his thoughts, Stein missed the glare that Spirit shot him as he laid Marie on the table. He didn't miss the hand that grabbed his lab coat and tugged him to face the other man. "What did you do, Stein? You're stumbling like a drunkard, Marie has been unconscious for Death only knows how long, and it's fairly obvious that you did something!"

"An experiment, Senpai. Nothing that should have been harmful. Just a little pill, we were both fine after."

"You lost an entire day, Stein!" Spirit shook the man.

The scientist just shrugged in the other man's grasp. "Sacrifices must be made for the advancement of knowledge."

A quiet moan caused Spirit to release Stein and both men turned to look at the stirring woman.

* * *

**A/N: Some… information that may be helpful. This is, among other things, an experiment of my own. Thinking outside the box, as it were. The characters may, at some point, seem OOC. I'm hoping to avoid it, but unfortunately, it may happen. It will all resolve, and everything will be explained. **

**The plot to the story (which we haven't really hit yet) is inspired by the song **_**Him**_** by Rupert Holmes.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	2. Sacrifices

Marie opened her eye slowly, blinking at the bright light that was hovering just above her. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry; if she didn't know better she'd have thought that she was drunk. A hand touching hers made her turn her head a bit too quickly and she squeezed her eye shut again, fighting the nausea.

The hand squeezed hers reassuringly and she opened her eye again to realize that it wasn't Stein that was comforting her. Her heart sank as she stared up into Spirit's blue eyes. Stein's green ones stared down at her from over his shoulder and she could have sworn that she saw disappointment in them momentarily.

"Franken? Spirit? What happened?" Stein put his hand on Spirit's shoulder and moved him out of the way so that he could step closer to Marie. Her hand felt cold without someone holding it, but she didn't say anything as Stein peered into her eye and then took her pulse.

"How do you feel?" Stein asked suddenly, his wrist pressing against her forehead.

"Hungover," she answered truthfully. "My head is pounding, my mouth is dry and I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Stein stood, moving past Spirit and to his computer, his hand twisting the screw. Marie sat up on her own and shook her head. Spirit caught her shoulder as the woman swayed a bit and shot a glare at Stein that the scientist couldn't see. Stein took only a moment at his computer though and retrieved a medication of some sort from the shelf. Shaking two out into his hand he took one and gave the other to Marie.

"It's for the side effects, Spirit," he said tiredly as the man glared at him. Marie took it without complaint. "Marie and I do have a class to teach today, and doing it feeling like we have hangovers isn't worth it."

Marie slid off the table, shaking her head. Stein's hand caught one shoulder as Spirit caught the other, both men steadying the woman. She stood briefly between them before moving unsteadily back towards the stairs to go get ready.

"Shouldn't you be helping her, Stein?" Spirit asked when the scientist made no move to follow the woman.

The man glared at him. "Senpai, thank you for the suggestion, but I believe I could do so without you telling me to. Marie is a strong woman, holding her hand like an infant would do her a disservice."

'_As well as interfere with my observations. I need to know if the drug works quickly enough to interact with the other to allow her to make it up the stairs on her own while I gauge my reactions here.'_ Stein thought silently. He tried again to use _Soul Perception_ and failed, twisting the screw in his head.

Spirit brushed past him and Stein caught his arm. Spirit jerked his arm out of the other man's grasp and went up the stairs. Stein turned the screw in his head irritably. The pounding headache was not abating, nor were any of the other side effects. The man checked the date on his computer and cursed inwardly. He and Marie had indeed lost an entire day.

Oh well, as he had told Spirit earlier, "Sacrifices must be made for the advancement of knowledge."

* * *

Marie stood at the top of the stairs, her hands on her knees as she tried to get the world to stop spinning. A hand slipped itself under her arm and gently encouraged her to walk. "Thank you, Franken…" she said quietly without opening her eye.

The quiet chuckle that answered her wasn't Stein's and she pulled back quickly; the woman would have fallen if Spirit hadn't caught her. "Whoa, Marie. Be careful. Stein's not up to coming up the stairs so I told him I'd come check on you." The lie slipped easily from the man's lips, but it seemed to put Marie at ease.

She smiled up at him, "Thanks, Spirit. I appreciate it. Why are you here though?" She paused in the door to her room and Spirit stood outside it.

"You two missed school yesterday, so I was coming to check up on you." Spirit said, turning to rest his back against the wall. "I wanted to make sure that everything was alright."

"Thank again, Spirit," she smiled again, and then gently shut the door. Spirit sighed, pulling a cigarette out of his suit jacket. He placed the unlit cigarette between his lips but didn't bother lighting it. Stein may not realize it, but Marie didn't care for cigarette smoke.

"Bring Marie with you when she's ready, Spirit." Stein's voice called up the stairs about five minutes later. "I'll meet you two at Shibusen." Spirit gave his assent.

He was still standing there when Marie emerged nearly ten minutes later, lost in his own thoughts.

"You didn't have to wait, Spirit!" Marie exclaimed, nearly startling him. He looked at her and shock registered on his face. Her eyes were red, her makeup slightly askew. She tried to brush past him, but the redhead caught her arm and turned her to face him.

"What's wrong, Marie?" Spirit asked quietly.

"It's nothing, Spirit. Where's Stein?" Marie changed the topic quickly.

"He went on ahead; he seemed to be in a rush." Tears welled up in Marie's eye and Spirit stepped closer to her, his voice low. "Marie, tell me what's going on."

The woman pulled away from him, stumbling a bit as she did. Spirit caught her arm to keep her from falling and a blush spread across her face even as tears spilled down her cheeks, ruining her makeup.

"What did Stein do?" Spirit asked, suddenly angry.

"Nothing, Spirit. That's the problem. He's done nothing!" It was as if a dam broke in the woman. "We've been dating for over a year! He barely touches me, never has. He's never even kissed me on the lips, Spirit! Our anniversary was a week ago and he forgot- that's the only reason we went on the date the other night! And then right after that he wanted three hours of training with that drug in our system, and made it seem like I was the weak link when I couldn't even walk to bed!" Tears fell down her face and she hung his head. "I love him… but sometimes… I don't understand his obsession with his experiments at all… It's hard to remember that he loves me…"

Spirit reacted without thinking. In one movement he was at her side, his hand cupping her chin and tilting her head up to look at him. She gasped as his lips pressed against hers, tears swimming in her visible eye. Slowly, an arm wrapped around his back and she closed her eye, a single tear falling down her cheek.

They were both panting when he broke the kiss. When his eyes met Marie's he saw desperation in them. She kissed him again, pulling him against her. There was an urgency to the kiss that the first one hadn't had and Spirit pulled away from her after a second.

"Marie?" He looked down at the woman in front of him, suddenly noticing how beautiful she was, even with her makeup a mess.

"Just shut up, Spirit." Marie said, her voice husky as she wound his tie around her fingers and pulled him down to kiss her again.

Spirit had to plant his hands on the wall to avoid falling against Marie. Some part of him was desperately screaming that this was his best friend's girlfriend; that he needed to put a stop to this here and now. The logical part of his mind was overwhelmed by a new desire.

The desire to make Marie happy. As he hesitated, conflicted, Marie pulled him backwards and into her bedroom.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you have the second chapter. I'm keeping this T- so no smut for all you smut lovers, sorry. I hope the plot is starting to make some sense to you by now, or at least become clear. I hope you are enjoying my experiment.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**

**Cheers and happy reading, Lialane.**


	3. I love you

Spirit looked over at Marie and then back up at the ceiling, the gravity of what they had just done hitting him like a ton of bricks. _'Stein is going to kill us when he finds out,'_ Spirit thought, guilt flowing through him,_ 'and I have no doubt that he will find out. Neither of us can lie to him. The man can see our souls and knows when someone is lying to him…'_ He let out a long sigh and climbed out of her bed. Marie was asleep, a content smile on her face.

Tugging on his boxers and pants Spirit redressed and went downstairs to find a phone. He called the receptionist at Shibusen and asked for a message to be delivered.

"And what message would that be, sir?" The woman's voice asked.

"Tell Hakase Stein that Marie Mjolnir isn't feeling well and will not be there to teach with him today." Spirit said, worry lacing his voice.

"Ah, and who is leaving the message?"

"Death Scythe." Spirit replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Death Scythe! We'll make sure to let Hakase Stein know. He can call if he has any questions, yes?" The receptionist's voice was far too cheerful for Spirit.

"Of course." Spirit sighed as he hung up the phone and rummaged through the kitchen, looking for coffee.

Making the coffee he pulled out his cigarettes and sat down on the couch, lighting one up. _'Marie will have to deal with the smoke, I need one.'_ He thought sourly as he took a deep draw on it. He released the smoke from his lungs slowly, shaking his head before bending the cigarette nearly in half without realizing it, his hands clenched into fists.

He snuffed the still burning end out in one of the many ashtrays that could be found around the lab and stood, wandering over to the window as he pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tapped out a cigarette before setting the pack down on the windowsill. He lit the new cigarette and tried again to smoke, the man's hand shaking so badly that he nearly couldn't.

The phone rang a few minutes later.

"Hello?"

"Where's Marie."

"She's sick, Stein. Whatever you did to her was too much this time. She barely made it up the stairs and after you left she fell trying to come down them. She's exhausted, so she's in bed sleeping." It surprised Spirit at how easily the half-lie came to his lips.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. After what seemed like a very long time Stein's strained voice sent a chill through Spirit's very soul. "You're lying. The medication she took this morning would have removed the side effects from the drug we took within twenty minutes."

"Then come see her for yourself, Stein. That's if you give a damn about her." Spirit said angrily.

"Of course I-" Stein's voice cut off as Spirit slammed the phone down on the hook. The redhead stood seething for a moment, the cigarette forgotten in his hand. He ran a shaking hand through his mussed up hair, and realized that he was still holding the cigarette in the other. He inhaled almost greedily on the cigarette.

"_What have I done?"_

Heaviness in his stride the man left the lab and the woman behind him.

* * *

Marie was still asleep when Stein got back to the lab, having left his class in the middle of the day to come and check on the woman. He sat on one side of her bed, his wrist pressed against her forehead, his other hand taking her pulse. She never stirred, just slept through his evaluation of her.

Stein twisted the screw in his head, attempting again to focus his _Soul Perception _so he could see the condition of her soul. The same feeling of nausea rushed through him and he sighed.

He placed one hand on Marie's shoulder and gently shook the woman. "Marie?"

Her eye moved underneath the lid and she muttered something that the scientist couldn't make out. He shook her shoulder again and she slowly opened her eye to look at him; it took a long second before she focused on him.

"Franken?" Marie looked at the clock and her face went pale. "Franken, I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

He cut her off, his hand squeezing her shoulder in what might have been meant as comfort, but was just a tad too tight. "No, Marie. I'm sorry. I pushed too hard with the last experiment and forgot that your health is more important than the experiment. I should have never had either of us even attempt to do anything beyond rest today."

She smiled up at him, though her face was pale. Stein believed it to be the exhaustion, but in actuality it was a mixture of guilt and fear. She touched his face gently as she whispered what she knew she had to say. "It's alright, Franken. I understand. I know how you are."

He captured her hand with his and brought it slowly to his lips. A blush spread across her cheeks as Stein released her hand. "Your health will never be the sacrifice I make for knowledge, Marie. I'm sorry I lost myself."

Marie just nodded, though her mind was a jumbled mess. This was out of character for Stein, but then again, sleeping with Spirit just a couple hours ago was out of character for her.

Had Stein been able to see her soul he would have seen the wave of guilt and self-hatred that crashed over the woman then; instead all he saw was the gentle smile on her face as she replied, "I know, Franken. I love you."

He just smiled down at her. 'I love you' were three words that he had never said, and as far as Marie knew, would never say. She knew he did love her, in his own way.

But she also knew something else; something that had happened in a moment of passion, and her face turned beat red as Stein turned to leave the room. Spirit had told her she was beautiful. He had said that he wanted to make her happy. He had said, "I love you," and she had responded, "I love you, too."

And she had meant it.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you're beginning to get a feel for this story by now. I hope that you're enjoying it. Thanks for taking the time to read.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	4. A Close Call

Stein stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his gaze drawn to the window by an addition that he hadn't made. Spirit's pack of cigarettes sat there, a small pile of ash beside it. Stein glanced up the stairs, focusing his _Soul Perception_, but the nausea rushed through him again and the scientist cursed. Grabbing the pack he pocketed it and walked on into his research lab, intent on running some more tests on himself to try to find the extent of his abilities that we blocked or weakened.

He couldn't channel his soul wavelength at all. The attempts made him feel weak and exhausted, his headache returning in full force. Eventually he collapsed on the floor breathing heavily. A shaking hand turned the screw in his head as he contemplated the ramifications of the most recent experiment he had attempted.

Then his thoughts turned to Marie. A surge of unfamiliar emotions rushed through him, and he felt guilt for what he may have done. Resolved, he stood and went upstairs to her room. He knocked and when she didn't answer, he stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He walked to the side of her bed and looked down at her, suddenly realizing something.

He couldn't feel her wavelength. She was breathing, yes, and even stirring slightly in her sleep at his approach, but he couldn't feel the warmth of her wavelength. Her eye opened as he sat down on the side of her bed, sleep clouding it as she reached out almost blindly for him. A small yawn tugged at her mouth and she scooted over on the bed when he didn't take her hand. Her voice was small, and she did sound ill as she asked him to do something he had never considered doing.

"Hold me, Franken."

He hesitated. He barely ever touched the woman; just being around her was enough for him. _'But is it enough for her?'_ He wondered suddenly. He remained sitting though and finally spoke. "Marie, I will, but first, I need to know if you can transform, alright?"

The woman nodded, slightly more awake and held her arm above her head, another yawn escaping her. She focused on it and there was a sudden flash of gold light.

It wasn't right. Marie stared in shock, all of her sleepiness gone in an instant. "Fr-franken?!" The woman's voice was near panicked. The scientist was just staring at her hand. Instead of the small protrusion she would normally have, her entire hand had transformed into a hammer.

"Marie, focus. Let go of the form, relax." Stein said in a hurry, his hand touching her shoulder. He repeated himself more forcefully when she didn't respond to him, squeezing her shoulder. With a flash of gold light her hand was normal again and she was staring at him.

"Marie-" Stein broke off when the woman was surrounded in a gold flash and a weapon fell to the bed. Stein sighed in relief. Her fully assumed form was still normal.

Her voice floated out of the weapon, "Franken, what's going on?"

"I wish I knew, Marie," he said quietly, "I'm going to figure it out." He reached out to the bed to pick the weapon up and withdrew his hand as soon as it touched her, his fingers smoking slightly.

Incredulously he whispered, _"Soul rejection?"_

Marie resumed her normal form, staring at the man in front of her who was staring at his smoking hand. "Franken?" Her voice was shaking, and she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself as tears started to slip down her cheek.

He awkwardly wrapped his long arms around her and everything that had happened recently crashed down on the woman and she sobbed into his lab coat.

Stein felt blind. He knew that he held Marie against him, but if he closed his eyes, it could be anyone. He couldn't feel the souls around him; he couldn't even feel _Marie's._ He tightened his arms around the woman, assuring himself of her existence even as she clung to his lab coat, pouring her fear and guilt out in her tears.

* * *

Spirit was walking down the halls of Shibusen when he passed Marie and Stein's classroom. Class had just let out and the two teachers were alone. Spirit took a deep breath, and started to walk in when he saw the flash of gold light that he knew heralded Marie's transformations. He watched from the window of the door as Stein caught Marie and immediately dropped her, his hand and upper arm smoking from the obvious soul rejection.

Spirit blinked, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his stomach. Marie was on the verge of tears, and instead of comforting her, Stein held his hands out in front of him briefly. To Spirit, it almost looked as if he was warding the woman off.

In actuality, Stein was trying again to channel his wavelength, and failing. As the scientist lowered his hands to his side, his head hanging in defeat, Marie stepped towards him, one hand taking his. Spirit's heart twisted as he watched Marie step even close to Stein and the scientist awkwardly embrace the woman. Her shoulders heaved a second later as he abruptly broke the embrace and looked towards the door.

Spirit didn't bother ducking. He was unaware that Stein couldn't sense souls and figured that he had been caught anyway. He opened the door and stepped into the classroom.

"Ah, Senpai. Can I help you with something?" Stein asked, stepping away from Marie and over to his desk.

"Actually, I was wanting to talk to Marie, Stein." Spirit said, hoping the man wasn't reading his soul at that point in time.

"I'll meet you in the cafeteria, then, Marie." Stein said simply, sitting down on his chair and pushing off towards the door.

"Alright, Franken."

"I'll get you the normal." Stein said suddenly as he stopped at the door, looking at the frame that would inevitably trip his chair. The scientist picked the chair up carefully and then was flying down the hall, leaving the two weapons alone.

"Marie-"

"Look, Spirit…"

They both laughed nervously and started to talk at the same time again. Spirit stopped and gave an exaggerated bow. "Ladies first."

"Spirit… what we did… we can't… we can't do it again." Color flared in Marie's cheeks. It was obvious that it took effort for her to admit that.

"I know." Spirit said consolingly, moving to her. "I'm here if you ever need to talk, though, Marie. We're just good friends that have a secret another friend would probably dissect us both over."

Marie laughed nervously. "You're right, Spirit." She looked up at him and sighed before moving to sit down at her desk.

Spirit turned to leave, but Marie's voice called out as he placed his hand on the doorknob. "We can't resonate, Spirit. Stein can't channel his wavelength; he can't even use _Soul Perception. _It's been two days. I don't know what we're going to do…" Tears were flowing down her face when the red headed death scythe turned to look at her.

He moved back to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, and she looked so hurt, so vulnerable. He wanted to do anything he could to take that pain away from her. Before he realized it, he was kissing the woman. She made a small noise into the kiss, but he couldn't tell if it was assent or not. When he pulled away from her there was still pain etched on her features, but it was nowhere near as intense as it had been.

He kissed her again, and again, and again. Each kiss removed some of the pain from her features, soothed her aching soul, even as it caused something else to ache. Something that, her previous statement forgotten, Spirit was happy to help cure as well.

The guilt crashed over them later, when Stein returned to the classroom with Marie's lunch; the two of them, while dressed, trying desperately to regulate their breathing.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater.**


	5. Comparison

Stein sat in his chair, staring up at the two weapons, Marie's lunch dangling from his fingertips. The woman had a slight blush on her cheeks as she took it and the scientist noted the fact that both weapons were breathing slightly heavier, Marie's face flushed and Spirit's hair mussed up. An uncomfortable feeling settled in Stein's stomach as he looked into her face and Marie looked away after a second.

"Thank you, Franken." Marie said, taking her lunch and moving over to one of the empty classroom desks.

He just grunted in response, scooting his chair back over to his desk. There was a pencil on the floor that hadn't been there when he left, and in the broken recesses of his mind he began putting pieces together. His sane mind rejected the conclusion he came to. _'Marie wouldn't do that to me. Nor would Spirit.'_ Stein thought desperately. He couldn't ignore the way that Spirit looked at Marie as the man left, or the almost nervous expression that was on Marie's face as she sat across from him and ate her lunch in silence.

"Did Spirit say something to upset you?" Stein asked suddenly, peering at the woman and inwardly cursing the (hopefully temporary) loss of his _Soul Perception_.

Marie stopped eating and looked up at him, and even without his _Soul Perception_ Stein could see that something was clearly eating at the woman. "No," she answered quickly, going back to her food.

"Then what is bothering you?" Marie looked up at the unexpected tenderness in Stein's voice.

"It's nothing, Franken," she gave him her best smile, "I promise, it's nothing." The woman looked back down at her food, taking another bite.

Stein stood and walked over to her before kneeling down in front of the desk she was sitting at. He caught her hands in his and looked directly in her eyes. "Marie, tell me what is bothering you. Don't make me force you to." His voice, while trying to be calm, held a dangerous edge to it.

"Franken, there's nothing bothering me." She started to say sweetly, but Stein leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. The woman froze, her eye widening in surprise.

Stein was taking mental note of how she was reacting to it. He watched as her breath came faster through her nose and her pupil changed. He watched the slight flush in her face, the little differences that came.

And it was all too familiar to what he had seen when he rolled into the room, and the feeling roiled up again in Stein's stomach as he pulled away from the woman. "Tell me," he said quietly.

"There's nothing to tell…" Marie said after a moment, wonder in her eyes. Before Stein could push the subject the bell for class rang and students began to file into the room.

* * *

Marie fidgeted next to Stein the entire class, desperately trying to stay calm. Stein was quiet though when class released, and walked the entire way home with her without saying a word. He retreated to his research lab immediately upon their return, leaving Marie alone in the sitting area, staring at his back as he left. She cooked and waited for him to come out, but he never did. Eventually she entered the lab, sitting the food beside him.

He didn't even look up at her, though she did notice that he turned the computer monitor to a different screen when she came in. She placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, and he didn't react at all.

"Franken?" The woman asked, worry tingeing her voice. She squeezed his shoulder. "Franken?"

"Marie?" He still didn't look at her, just continued reading whatever it was on the screen.

"What's wrong?"

He turned to look at her then. "It's nothing, Marie. I promise, it's nothing." Marie stepped back as if she had been slapped as he threw her words back into her face. His face was devoid of emotion and the death scythe just turned and left, tears slipping from her eye.

* * *

Marie fell asleep crying in her bed, and when she opened her eye a while later it was to realize that she was strapped down to one of Stein's operating tables, the bright overhead light on and shining directly in her face. The death scythe blinked in confusion. "Franken?"

A shadow approached her left side. She didn't see him until he was leaning over her, his head tilted as he looked down at her.

"Franken, let me go, now." Marie said forcefully, tugging at the restraints on her wrists and ankles.

"No," he said as he stood upright. She realized then that he had on surgical gloves and a small mobile table was sitting beside the operating table, stocked with everything he would need for a dissection.

"Franken, let me go!"

"I warned you, Marie. I told you to tell me what was wrong, what was bothering you. I told you I didn't want to have to force you." Stein said, raising a scalpel to look at it under the light with a critical eye.

Marie felt her breath catch in her chest, and she forced herself to remain calm. Stein's sudden laugh as he cranked the screw made her tremble. "I felt that, Marie. I felt your wavelength for the first time in almost three days. Are you afraid? That's good. Fear is key to sanity, you know. Trying to lock it away results in no fear, which results in anarchy as people do whatever they want. It leads to debauchery. To hedonism. To people giving into their independent madnesses. "

A smirk crossed the man's face. "Don't worry, Marie. I'm afraid still, oh yes, I'm afraid." He leaned in close to look her in the eye, the scalpel inches from her face. "I'm afraid of the truth of what is bothering you, you see. I'm not blind."

He stood, placing Spirit's pack of cigarettes beside her head. "I don't smoke that brand." He leaned back, out of the light. "Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you now or not?"

"There's nothing, Franken… I'm just worried about the after effects of that experiment." Marie said quickly, her eye trained on the scalpel that was sitting in the scientist's hand.

"You're lying to me, Marie."

"No, I'm not, Franken! I am worried about the after effects! What if you don't recover? I can cope, you've lost everything!" Marie's eye was open wide as she watched the scalpel drift towards her and be laid on the table beside her.

"You think I didn't notice, Marie? You think that someone as familiar with the human body as I am didn't notice the tension between the two of you when I came back? The way that you held yourself next to him? Or perhaps that I didn't note the flush on your face- the same flush that you had when I kissed you?" He leaned in to stare at her, his face neutral. "Or perhaps you didn't notice the look he gave you as he left. Like he wanted to take you with him."

Marie stared up at him, shock on her face. Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but she was speechless, and no sound came out.

Stein stared, expressionless, into her face before pulling away from her and sitting down on his chair. "I'm sorry, Marie."

She turned to look at him then, the shock on her face replaced by a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "No! I-"

He interrupted her. "Just listen to me, Marie. I know why you did what you did. It's natural. Some claim that it is _necessary_." He looked up at her and she could see the pain in his eyes then. "I've been cruel without even meaning to be. The point is… I'm not angry. I'm… curious. It's something I've never allowed myself to experiment with."

He removed the bonds then, but hovered over her, looking down at her. "Perhaps… you would want to see how I compare?"

* * *

**A/N: :D**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	6. Acceptance and Experimentation?

Marie laid still; Stein's head cushioned on her stomach, his previously roaming hand wrapped around her thigh almost possessively. The man was asleep, curled up against her, his breathing deep and even.

'_That's the most physical contact that we've ever had.' _Marie thought to herself as she laced her fingers through his hair. _'I can't believe he isn't mad, that he views it all as a big experiment…'_ Stein moved a bit and she took the opportunity to slip his head off her stomach and onto the bed, curling up against him. The man moved blindly in his sleep, his arms wrapping around her. She snuggled into his embrace, unconsciously comparing him to Spirit.

The problem was… she couldn't tell which she had preferred. Spirit was obviously the more practiced of the pair. He had known what to do without her having to tell him, and it had been nothing more than a haze of lust and sex and pleasure. With Stein she had had to show him what to do to her, even though he knew the basic mechanics. It had been awkward but tender, and she had never expected how gentle he had been with her.

With a sigh she shifted until her head was underneath Stein's chin, his arms adjusting even in his sleep to hold her. She wondered if something like this would ever happen again.

She knew that it could, but she couldn't bring herself to go back to Spirit for it. Some small part of her mind reminded her that she had said that same thing just minutes before she had done it again, but she squashed the voice, resting her hands against Stein's chest.

'_I love Stein. If it doesn't happen again, then I just have to live with that.'_ She thought stubbornly to herself as she drifted off.

He was gone when she awoke, and she was alone in his room with the scent of antiseptics and cigarette smoke.

* * *

Stein sat in front of his computer, the previous night's events playing over in his head. _'I can understand, now, why Marie was so desperate for physical contact.'_ He thought, his hands flying over the keyboard as he pulled up yet another study to read.

He was so absorbed by his reading that he didn't feel Marie enter the room until she was nearly behind him, and he quickly turned the page to something else.

"Franken?" Her voice called out quietly, a few feet from him. He turned in his chair to face her, one hand twisting the screw in his head.

"Yes, Marie?"

There were tears in her eye and her arms were crossed over her chest. She was wearing nothing but her robe and Stein could feel the stirring he had felt earlier. _'Apparently once the flood gate is open there's no stopping it.'_ He thought wryly.

"I… I'm sorry. For everything. I should never have done that to you. I won't do that to you, ever again." He watched her impassively as she continued speaking, "I'm so sorry, Franken…"

"I thought we had discussed this." Stein said, crossing his legs. "I'm not angry, or upset. You have no reason to be apologizing to me."

"I cheated on you with your best friend! You should be angry!" She shouted suddenly, then clasped her hands over her mouth, her face a scarlet red and a look of horror in her eye as if her act had suddenly been made real with her proclamation.

He stood then and walked over to her, staring down at her. "Marie, listen to me. I'm only going to say this one more time. I'm not angry with you. I'm irritated that you had to go to Spirit for what you needed, but that is not directed at you. I take the blame for what you had to do. Blame it on my inadequate knowledge of social norms."

The tears spilled out then and she bowed her head, her shoulders heaving as she tried to keep from sobbing out loud. He stepped forward and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

His next words did nothing to stop the surge of conflicting emotions running through the woman. "I don't care that you slept with Spirit, Marie. I don't care if you do again. I just don't want you to feel like that is your only option. I know that it is necessary, I realize that now." His voice was quiet and gentle as she hiccupped sobs into his chest. "The world is meant for experimentation, after all."

* * *

Spirit was deep in his cups when the door to Chupa Cabra's opened and Stein stepped in, looking around until he spotted the red headed death scythe. He walked over to the table Spirit was at and sat down without the man's permission.

"Senpai, we need to talk." Stein said without preamble.

"Yeah, Stein. I know. Just let me finish getting sloshed and then you can drag me back to the lab to dissect me." Spirit said, his voice slurring heavily.

"That's not necessary." Stein said as he sat back, waving off the girls that approached the table.

"Huh? You don't know then?" Spirit peered at the man.

"Depends on what you're talking about, Spirit. If you're asking if I know that you slept with Marie, then yes, I do. If it's something else, you're welcome to enlighten me." Stein said quietly.

"So… why don't you want to dissect me?" Spirit seemed generally confused by this turn of events. "I was sure that you'd want to kill me…"

"I suppose a normal person would, Senpai. However, I'm not, nor have I ever been, normal. Marie needed what you did. I was unaware of its importance, I discovered that last night. I've tried explaining to Marie that I am not angry, despite my initial disbelief of the situation. Perhaps you should explain it to her." Stein said.

"I don't understand…" Spirit downed his drink and ran a shaking hand through his hair.

"I understand Marie's need to experiment. I can accept it, even if I have no interest in experimenting with other women. It allows me to grasp, albeit slightly, your promiscuous ways. I'm not angry. Nor will I be if it happens again. I feel certain that Marie needs to experiment far more than I do." Stein leaned back against the couch and fished a cigarette from his pocket.

"You… you're not going to dissect me and you're giving me permission to sleep with your girlfriend." Spirit stood and staggered a bit. "I've had way too much to drink. I must be more drunk than I thought. Goodnight, whoever you are." He took a few steps from the table and staggered slightly.

Stein's hand steadied him. The scientist placed what he hoped was more than enough money to cover whatever it was that Spirit had had to drink on the counter before guiding the drunken death scythe out of the club.

"Where're we goin'?" Spirit slurred out after a second.

"The lab."

"Why?"

"You would prefer somewhere else?" Stein asked.

"Are you going to dissect me?" Spirit asked suspiciously, his face contorting.

"I don't intend to." Stein smirked.

"Experiment on me?" Spirit asked after a few minutes and the lab came into view.

"That was never the agreement."

* * *

**A/N: dum dum dum!**

**I don't own Soul Eater. Hope you enjoyed ;D**


	7. Curiosity

The main door to the lab was closed, but Stein stared suspiciously at the fact that the interior door to his research lab was cracked. He pushed it open and heard a distinct scraping sound as something in front of the door had to be forced out of the way. Flicking on the light he smirked as he saw the chair that Marie had placed in front of the door, the death scythe blinking sleep from her eyes where she sat in front of his computer on his stitched chair.

"Nervous, Marie?" Stein asked as he moved over to her, gently pushing her up and out of his chair, guiding her to another before he reclaimed it.

"I wanted to make sure you hadn't lost it, Franken. I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's not normal." Marie said, remaining standing.

Spirit swayed in the door to the lab, watching the two of them stare at each other. Even drunk as he was, he could feel the tension in the air, not all of it non-sexual. Groggily rubbing his eyes he moved to leave or find more to drink, he wasn't sure.

"Spirit, stay." Stein's voice wasn't demanding, but it wasn't a plea either. A simple statement as the scientist turned to look at him.

"I need more to drink, I think." Spirit said falteringly. "Maybe then things will start to make sense."

Stein looked over at Marie and the woman sighed. "I wish I understood, too, Spirit. Apparently Franken wants to use as lab rats."

"He's not cutting into me again!" Spirit hissed out, moving back a few paces, realizing belatedly that he had wandered halfway into the lab without noticing.

"No, I don't plan on using a scalpel, Senpai." Stein's tone sent shivers down the death scythes spine.

"Ma-Marie?" Spirit stuttered, looking at the blushing death scythe. "What's going on?"

She cleared her throat nervously. "Franken doesn't want to experiment with other women than me. However…"

"I want to experiment with a man." Stein finished coolly.

Spirit hit the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

The red headed death scythe opened his eyes and found himself in a bed. The quiet clicking of keys came from across the room and he smelled cigarette smoke. _'Shit, I'm going to get raped by Stein. Not exactly what I was afraid of… but it's worse somehow…'_ Spirit thought despondently as he kept his eye squeezed tightly shut.

"I can feel anxiety in your soul, Spirit." Stein said without looking up or turning to face him. "You're nervous and terrified. I don't understand why. This wouldn't be the first time you've had sex; in fact, you just recently had sex with Marie. Why is this so different?" At the end Stein turned to face Spirit, his legs crossed and a look of curiosity on his features.

"You're a man, Stein!" Spirit exploded.

"And? Men have sex with other men. Women have sex with other women. When I suggested to Marie that she should experiment with the same gender as well she adamantly refused." Stein thought for a moment. "It was quite curious; her soul was distraught, almost as if I had stumbled onto a secret."

Spirit was just staring at Stein. "And how does Marie feel about this? You can't tell me she's fine with you 'experimenting' with men!"

"Actually, Marie is fine with it. She seemed to think I was kidding though. I don't believe she believes that I actually will."

"You shouldn't! Especially not with me!" Spirit pushed himself up against the headboard of the bed, his knees drawn up against his chest. Stein was between him and the door.

Stein stared at him without any expression on his face, but the scientist's next words sent a chill down the death scythe's spine. "Have you never been curious, Senpai?"

A broken nod before he could stop himself sealed Spirit's fate.

* * *

Marie was gone when the two men left the room, though a quick search of the lab with his _Soul Perception_ (thankfully working now, he had realized with relief) found the woman. Her wavelength worried him though. Spirit collapsed on the couch, waving Stein away from him.

"Just find Marie." The death scythe said quietly.

It didn't take long. Marie was sitting on top of the wall that surrounded the lab, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Marie?" Stein's voice called up to her. Tears slipped down her cheek as she sniffled slightly, ignoring the man. "Marie, don't make me come and get you."

"You don't have to, Stein," the scientist didn't miss the use of his last name instead of Franken, "ever again."

"Marie, what are you talking about?" Worry tinged his voice as he continued to stare up at her.

She turned to face him. "You don't understand anything, Franken! I did what I thought was the unthinkable! Then you just had to be you, you had to accept it. You had to bend it into an experiment! You slept with a man! You slept with the same man I had!"

He stared up at her impassively. "Yes, I did. It's not the same, Marie. I want you to know that." He watched her soul as it wrapped around itself, obviously distraught. _'Perhaps now is not the best time to bring up the last phase of the experiment.'_ Stein thought detachedly.

"That's not comforting…" Her voice trailed off as she looked away. "I can't believe it…" Her voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear her.

It only took him a moment to climb the wall. "Marie, it wasn't my intention to hurt you."

"I just don't understand, Franken!"

"It's simple, Marie." She looked up at him as he caught her chin gently between his fingers, balancing deftly on the wall, his eyes boring into hers as he watched her wavelength carefully. "I'm doing this experiment for you."

* * *

**A/N: ^_^**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	8. What's Mine

"For… me?" The woman squeaked out.

"Of course. I didn't have the desire to experiment until I realized how essential it was for you." Marie could sense the truth in what he was saying. "I have to know all sides of the equation before I can properly solve the problem. Which meant I have to experiment from all sides in order to know what to do best."

It seemed so rational, so logical the way he was explaining it, but Marie still couldn't bring herself to be rational. She was angry, hurt, and felt betrayed, even though she knew the last was wrong seeing as _she_ was the one who caused all of this by sleeping with Spirit in the first place.

Stein pinched the bridge of his nose after releasing her chin, repeating the last thing he had said. "Marie, it was never my intention to hurt you. I'm doing this because I want to know the best way to fulfill your need."

"How would sleeping with a man let you know that though?" There was pain in Marie's voice and for a brief second she wished that Spirit was there.

"Like I said, I had to see all sides of the issue." Stein twisted the screw in his head now. "I have one more experiment to conclude, and then this will be over, Marie."

"What else could you want? You've already slept with Spirit and me!" She nearly shrieked at him. Realization hit a second later, and a look of disbelief crossed her face.

"Marie, I don't understand why you would be hesitant. It's obvious that you've surmised my last stage."

"No."

"Marie, Spirit agreed to it."

"I'm not Spirit!" She shouted, surging to her feet. She lost her balance as she did, teetering on the top of the wall, ten feet from the ground. Stein's hand latched around her wrist as she started to fall, pulling her to him and keeping her from falling. She felt herself blush a bit, and then remembered that she was angry at him, jerking away.

"Marie, at least think about it. I prefer willing subjects."

She just started at him. "You will _only_ use willing subjects."

The scientist sighed. "Yes, Marie."

"Never going to happen, Franken." With a practiced jump she landed on the ground and strode back into the lab.

* * *

"I told you that she'd say no, Stein. Marie's not that type of girl."

"And why did you agree, Senpai?"

"Because you needed someone to help you, Stein."

Stein just studied his former weapon. "So you have experience with this as well."

"Not how you mean, Stein."

"Well, maybe you could enlighten me then."

The sound of heels on the tiled floor interrupted their conversation. Marie stood in front of them, her makeup a mess.

"I hate you." She said, tears streaming down her face. "Franken Stein, I hate you. Spirit Albarn, I hate you too. I hate you both." Marie's body was trembling as both men watched her, disbelief on her face. "I'm not doing it, you can deal with." She wrapped her arms around her chest, standing there.

Stein stood and looked at Spirit. Spirit just shrugged and mouthed 'I told you'. Stein wrapped his arms awkwardly around Marie, holding her close as she broke down sobbing.

"You shouldn't hate us, Marie." Stein said quietly. "We've done nothing to deserve it."

"You slept with Spirit!"

"You did, Marie." Stein said, emphasizing _you._ His voice was gentle.

"It was a mistake, a huge mistake. I told you I was sorry!"

Stein took her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him. "Marie, you're hurting, aren't you?"

The woman glared murder at him. "Of course I-"

"And how do you think I truly felt? You had a problem and didn't come to me. You went to Spirit. You think that when we took that pill I couldn't _feel_ everything you did, hear every side thought through the resonance?" His green eyes bored into her eye. "It tore me apart, and to top it off, I was without the use of my _Soul Perception _or anything else."

He released her shoulders and stepped back. "I didn't sleep with Spirit. I wasn't going to sleep with both of you at the same time either. Spirit agreed to help me with the deception in exchange for me not permanently castrating him." Spirit nodded to that statement in the background. "It may be cruel, but I wanted you to realize what you had done, and how much of a betrayal it felt like."

Marie hit her knees on the concrete floor, tears streaming down her cheek as it all sunk in. Spirit found himself trying to look anywhere other than at her. "Then… then why… why did you take him to your room for so long!"

Stein adjusted his glasses. "I was explaining the fine details of the deal, Marie, in case you were waiting when we left." The glinting light hid his eyes.

"_I'm so sorry… for everything… betraying your trust, not trusting you…"_ Marie whispered to the floor, tears falling.

"I forgive you, Marie." Stein knelt in front of her, his fingers sliding under her chin to raise her face to him. "So long as you promise this will never happen again."

She just brokenly nodded, and then gasped in surprise as he kissed her.

"You're mine, Marie. I won't share you with anyone, not even my Senpai."

* * *

**A/N: Again, this is based on the song ****Him**** by Rupert Holmes. I suggest you look up the Stickman lyrics version and watch it on you tube.**

**The conclusion… a surprise neh?**

**I don't own Soul Eater. I hope you enjoyed.**


End file.
